Deep Sea Exploring

Okay, well, that's what it felt like anyway. Last night there was a staff night dive to the wreck. There's a cargo ship that was intentionally sunk just outside the Utila bay, and that was my first time seeing it at night. It's a deep dive (30 metres), so almost no one goes to it after dark. We were given free reign to do whatever we felt like exploring this wreck last night. It was super fun, I got to take a look inside parts of it that I wouldn't normally get to see during the day, and it felt like I was at a wreck so deep in the sea that the sun couldn't shine there. I also saw this crazy little critter that looked JUST like a piece of coral, but was crawling around like a crab or something. Once I figure out who pointed that out to me in the dark, I'll find out more about it.

A couple of days ago we took a trip to Cayos Cochinos, the Hog Islands. This is a marine reserve close to the mainland, and it was super fun. Marine life was, naturally, pretty similiar to that on Utila, but it was super fun to explore some new sites. For once, I managed to find eels all by myself, and I was also shown an octopus who had squashed himself down into the coral. One of the sites we dove was a plane wreck from a drug plane that went down some time ago. You've got to love the fact that that happens so often here. Anyway, our trip to Cayos Cochinos was lovely. We did one dive, visited a small island of locals, had lunch, did a second dive, relaxed on another island, and made our way back to Utila. Of course, by this time the sea was getting quite rough, so our amazing Captain Errol was basically surfing the waves with the boat the whole way. It took a while, but it was an incredibly smooth ride considering the size of the swells.

I have now fully run out of partying steam, so I slink off to my apartment in the evening and try to disappear before anyone forces me out for the evening. I've been successful in this the past couple of nights, but don't know for how much longer I'll be able to manage. Leading up to my leaving Utila, there will be plenty of need for dinners out and nights on the town, so I might just have to accept that I'll rest up when I continue on my travels.

You might find evidence on facebook of something from the other night. Here in Utila, it is traditional for divemasters to have to pass one last test before it is considered official. Perhaps this is just the normal case of UDC holding higher training standards than PADI requires, or perhaps it's an excuse for mad partying. Anyway, it's called the Snorkel Test. Once all other tasks have been completed for divemaster training, the trainee is subjected to this test. It is done at a bar, and it involves a scuba mask, a snorkel with a funnel on it, and a lot of beer, rum, and soda mixed together. In my case, I asked for them to go light on the alcohol because I take antidepressants and didn't want them to be messed with. So I was fed about a litre of coke and two drops of rum. Normally, the subject of this test winds up so wasted they are eventually carried home. I, however, drank less than usual before the snorkel test so I would start out neither sober nor drunk, was given virtually no alcohol during the test, and had one more weak drink afterwards. What I find hilarious is that my snorkel test was done at the weekly UDC barbeque which is an all-you-can-drink event, so everyone ELSE got trashed, while I effectively remained sober. The next day I felt fine, but everyone else on the island seemed to be hurting. Like I said before, I don't fit in here (though it is fun).

Now, I am off. I'd love to hear from you guys back home... You know, I'm just saying... In the meantime, I'll be trying to figure out why the bank machines are not giving me any money. Oh my...